B.C. rescue group captures wrong-way warbler that should be wintering far south

BURNABY, B.C. – A tiny warbler spotted flying in a Vancouver parking garage is not only on the wrong side of the country, it’s on the wrong continent for this time of year.

The Wildlife Rescue Association says it captured the prothonotary warbler without incident out of concern for its health.

It's only the 11th time the bright yellow bird has been spotted in B.C., and association manager Jackie McQuillan says the species would normally migrate in summers to Quebec and Ontario.

The bird, which is an endangered species, should be in South America or around the Gulf of Mexico right now.

McQuillan says they aren’t sure how it got here, but they want to be careful how they release it and believe it might struggle to survive a long plane ride to its wintering grounds.

Instead, she says they think it would be best to overwinter the bird in their centre, then release it to join a flock of local warblers when they return in the spring.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2022.